Just a college girl who wants to brighten the world with food, photos and fun.

SAPORITI NUBI… Spiced Pecan Cranberry Cookies

by valentinalucia

I opened my pantry this morning and discovered a ton of box cake mix in a small, dark, neglected corner. I’m bringing most of the boxes back to school with me for my friends and I to use, but I couldn’t help getting in one recipe with a box of cake mix before I left home—Spiced Pecan Cranberry Cookies!

It was so excited to watch these cookies in the oven because they puffed up so nicely. When I tasted one, I was not surprised to have a fluffy, light cookie, but I was surprised to have the pleasant scent of cinnamon immediately hit my nose. It wasn’t overpowering, but just enough to make you say, “Oh, there’s cinnamon in this.” The cookies have a nice airy consistency, almost like eating a cloud of cinnamon-y, nutty, cranberry-y goodness. I really like the contrast between the fluffiness of the cooke and the crunch from the pecans and the chew of the dried cranberries. Hopefully my friends will enjoy them, too.

2. Combine cake mix, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a large bowl and mix. Add oil, applesauce, water, eggs, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix slowly to incorporate thoroughly. Fold in pecans and cranberries.

3. Using a tablespoon measure, portion batter onto prepared baking sheets, placing each cookie about 2 inches apart from one another. Bake for 15 minutes, until tops of cookies are firm and turn golden. Remove and let rest on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from sheets and let cookies cool completely on wire racks. Store in an air-tight container.